The present invention relates to an operating medium tank arrangement for a motor vehicle.
The following discussion of related art is provided to assist the reader in understanding the advantages of the invention, and is not to be construed as an admission that this related art is prior art to this invention.
An operating medium arrangement is assigned to the motor vehicle or forms a part of the motor vehicle. It serves for storing or temporarily storing fuel, which can in particular be used for operating a drive aggregate of the motor vehicle. Operating medium includes for example fuel, in particular benzene or diesel. In this case the operating medium tank can be referred to as fuel tank and the operating medium tank arrangement as fuel tank arrangement.
The operating medium tank arrangement includes the operating medium tank which is preferably constructed as a pressure tank. During operation of the motor vehicle or the operating medium a positive pressure of at least 300 bar, at least 400 bar or at least 500 bar prevails in such a pressure tank relative to the pressure in the environment external to the operating medium tank arrangement. This means that it may be necessary to ventilate the operating medium tank in order to at least temporarily reduce the over pressure. This is for example the case during refueling or when the pressure in the operating medium tank exceeds a defined pressure. For ventilation of the operating medium tank for example a ventilation device is provided.
Fluidly connected to the operating medium tank is the filling tube. The filling tube serves for refueling the operating medium tank, i.e., for introducing operating medium into the operating medium tank. For this purpose the filling tube has the insertion opening for receiving the refueling device on its side that faces away from the operating medium tank. The refueling device is for example configured in the form of a pump nozzle. The insertion opening of the filling tube is closable so that during a normal operation or during driving of the motor vehicle no fluid connection is present between the interior of the operating medium tank and the external environment via the insertion opening. Usually the insertion opening is only made accessible for introducing the refueling device and thus introduction of the operating medium into the operating medium tank.
In the filling tube the guide insert is provided which in particular serves for guiding the refueling device. After introducing the refueling device through the insertion opening into the filling tube at least regions of the refueling device are thus supported by the guide insert and the refueling device is hereby preferably at least partially, in particular completely engaged around in circumferential direction. In addition the liquid separator is assigned to the filling tube. The liquid separator serves for separating liquid or liquid operating medium from the mixture of liquid operating medium, gaseous operating medium and air in any ratios.
The liquid separator is for example used during ventilation of the operating medium tank. For this purpose the liquid separator is connected to the operating medium tank via the ventilation line. In addition the liquid separator is fluidly connected with the filter device and with the filling tube. During ventilation of the operating medium tank the aforementioned mixture is supplied to the liquid separator via the ventilation line. A ventilation valve may be arranged in the ventilation line by means of which the ventilation line can be released or blocked. As an alternative the ventilation valve can also be arranged fluidly between the liquid separator and the filter device.
The operating medium tank is ventilated in the direction of the filter device, which is for example configured as an activated carbon filter. Preferably the liquid separator is or can be fluidly connected with the external environment via the filter device. During the ventilation liquid operating medium is to be removed from the mixture as far as possible and the mixture is then to further flow in the direction of the filter device. The liquid operating medium separated by the liquid separator can enter the filling tube and through the filling tube flow back into the operating medium tank. For this purpose the filling tube is preferably permanently fluidly connected with the operating medium tank, in particular when the insertion opening is closed.
The liquid separator is preferably arranged on the filling tube, in particular fastened on the filling tube, in particular welded to the filling tube. Beside the liquid separator of course a further liquid separator can be provided. The further liquid separator is for example connected upstream of the liquid separator to the ventilation line or is arranged on the ventilation line. The mixture supplied to the liquid separator via the ventilation line can insofar have been conducted beforehand through the further liquid separator so that a part of the liquid operating medium was already separated in the further liquid separator.
It would be desirable and advantageous to provide an improved operating medium tank arrangement that has advantages compared to known operating medium tank arrangements, in particular a more reliable separation of the liquid operating medium from the mixture.